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Joey	By : AlectoPerdita Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2971 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and characters are the intellectual property of Takahashi Kazuki, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. No money is made from this fan effort.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Joey
By Alecto Perdita
Track 7 - Shiver
Rating: PG-13
Posted: June 24, 2010
Warning(s): Shonen-ai, cheesy melodrama, & Kaijou
Email: alecto . perdita (at) gmail . com
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Takahashi Kazuki, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Takahashi Kazuki are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.
There may not
Be another way to your heart
So I guess I'd better find a new way in
I shiver when I hear your name
Think about you but it's not the same
I won't be satisfied 'till I'm under your skin
- "Shiver" by Maroon 5
When I had come to, I was greeted by a sea of concerned faces. Both Shizuka and Anzu had cried. Honda even looked a bit teary eyed toward the end. The doctor demanded that I rest, unable to hide his flabbergast expression. But I couldn't rest. Not while I had apparently failed Mai, not when Yugi and Kaiba was nowhere to be seen. For some reason, I knew exactly where they were. They were dueling at the top of the tower, but something felt wrong and my guts told me Kaiba was trying to make the wrong choice for the wrong reasons.
"There is no victory at the end of hate." Yami had said as the last of the holograms faded away. I had reached the top of the Duel Tower just in time to watch Yami's monster deliver the final blow to three Blue Eyes White Dragons. Anzu, Honda, and Otogi immediately rushed past me to be closer to the stage; leaving me standing behind in the shadowed stairway.
I felt a bit sorry for Kaiba then. The guy seriously looked like he was about to go into shock. Most of all, he looked almost defeated. His eyes were glazed over and his face pale as he stared down at his shaking hands. I found myself stepping forward to approach the other boy despite myself.
Yami continued, "Kaiba, you forget that there can be no future without a past. The present is built on top of the past and leads on to the future. We cannot be who we are without our past."
"Yugi, you're mistaken. A true duelist only needs his own strength! As per the ante rule, take this God card."
Yami caught the card that cut through the air. I would have to ask Kaiba one day how he throws cards like that. The brunet had swept past Yami in a blur of his flashy white trenchcoat and soon he was approaching us. But then, I think he noticed me hanging back and stopped.
"Jounouchi! You're awake!" Mokuba exclaimed, running forward to see if I was really standing in front of them.
I gave the little boy a small smile to try and reassure him.
"Jounouchi-kun." Yami at least had the decency to look relieved to see me.
And for a moment, I thought I might had seen the same expression of relief flicker across Kaiba's features. His face was unreadable, but I knew better. He only wore that mask when he had something to hide.
Hate will only lead to death.
I blinked- not sure where the words had come from. But I knew one thing, if I let him leave now in such a state alone, he would do something drastic. He had lost a lot in the last few days, the God Card probably the least of all. Even more, all of us had witnessed those losses. While it may have given the rest of us more insight into who and why Kaiba is who is he, he would only see that as a further weakness on his own part. And the monster inside his heart would only continue to fester and grow...
"Kaiba. duel me." The words were barely above a whisper, but from the incredulous look on everyone's faces, I knew they had heard too. "We'll fight for third place."
He laughed with one hand reaching out to push me away. "Get out of the way, bonkatsu. I have no interest in fighting a loser."
His words made me mad- perhaps he knew they would. But I could bite back too and make it hurt more because I could see the things he wanted no one else to. I grabbed the wrist on my shoulder and shoved the hand away, ignoring the thrill that ran down my spine at the contact. "At least I don't run like a dog with my tail between my legs every time I lose a duel."
His shoulders tensed and eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"
It probably wasn't the best thing to say considering Kaiba's mood at the time. "Like I said, I never took you as a coward. Maybe you need me to teach you what it really means to be a duelist. No matter how many times I'm beaten, I always get back up."
Whether it was a God card, my father, and now Kaiba, I would get right back up. Defeat was never final for Jounouchi Katsuya.
Kaiba's nostrils were flared and he stormed past me. Just when I was about to think my ploy for his attention had failed, I heard him say from behind me. "But you almost didn't get back up again after Malik was done with you."
I stood in shock for a few moment, just listening to the sound of his retreating footsteps. I realized that Kaiba was walking the same path as Mai, too proud or too afraid to accept the help of others.
And I would be damned if I let what happened to her happen to him as well.
I turned and followed the two brothers down the stairs to the elevator. "Kaiba, you self-centered bastard, don't walk away while I'm talking to you."
It was then the elevator announced its arrival with a loud beep. Mokuba, with all his childhood exuberence, rushed through the two glass doors as soon as they opened. Kaiba tried to follow this brother, but I quickly inserted myself between him and the elevator.
We had stared at each other for a few moments before the elevator began beeping insistently.
"Mokuba, I'll be down right after I take care of the bonkatsu." Kaiba's glare never strayed from my face as he addressed his brother.
The doors closed with a quiet click, followed by the low hum of the elevator's descent.
He loomed over me, closing the last of the distance between us. "Are you trying to pick a fight, Jounouchi? I would have thought the beating Malik gave you would have been enough."
It took a moment for his words to sink in because I was too busy studying the lashes framing his angry blue eyes. "I think you need to check your facts. I would have won that duel if I didn't-"
"What? Die?"
I wasn't prepared for Kaiba to actually get physical. Two hands suddenly grabbed a hold of my shoulders and I found myself suddenly dangling two inches off the ground and against the wall. Our faces were just centimeters apart, lips close enough to kiss... Okay, now was definitely not the time to be having thoughts like that!
"You stopped breathing," he snarled. "For two and a half minutes, you were dead. All because you were sticking your nose where it didn't belong, because you have absolutely no consideration of your own limits."
"Oh, like you were doing so damn much for Mai. I had to do it, I had to be the one to do it. Malik was mine to beat!"
"Is she so damn important that it's worth your life?"
The loudness of his words caught me by surprise. I stared at the face tried so hard to appear closed off and void of emotion, but I had saw a glimpse of the anger that simmered underneath the surface. Kaiba liked to think he was so good at hiding his emotions, but there were always little tells that gave him away. Whether it was a sudden curtness to his words, an unconscious balling of his hands, or just the slight tilt of his head to a side, the little tells told me exactly what he was really feeling. There had been genuine concern being held back and I almost forgave all his asshole behavior right there.
But then he had to open that big mouth of his again, rekindling all my frustration with him: "I'm sure there are less drastic measures you can take to get in her pants."
"Mai is a very important friend and I would do the same for any of my friends. If only you had some, maybe you wouldn't feel so empty all the time!" And when he wasn't being a complete headcase, I was more than willing to do the same for Kaiba. I cared enough to be here in the first place, didn't I?
I grabbed the lapel of his jacket and tried to knee him in the stomach. He was always two steps ahead of me though, taking one of my arm and he threw me to the floor instead. My brain rattled in my skull and my back painfully objected to the sudden impact with the ground. Kaiba grabbed me and turned me over, straddling my stomach with one fist balled up in my shirt. "I don't need anyone! Not you, not Yugi, none of this bullshit you cheerleaders keep spouting. Hate and anger has given me all the power I've ever needed."
"And that hate only leads to death." I spat in return, unable to get the phantom words from before out of my head.
For whatever reason, this made him pause. His eyes had widened only a fraction, but it was enough to give off a spark of recognition. "That's what she said."
I didn't know who "she" was.
Oblivious to me, he continued. "I tried going down the other path, the better path. You turned me away from it, Jounouchi. I travel down this road because you and everyone else gave me no other choice. The other one can't still be an option at this point. It can't possibly be worth it."
His weight was suddenly gone and I could feel myself breathe easier. A card landed on my face, blocking my worm's eye view of him.
"Yugi claims he won our duel because of the card you gave him, that the power of your friendship led him to victory. If he truly wants a chance to defeat Ra, he'll need this. Give it to him and he'll prove me right. There are no miracles."
I quickly sat up but managed to catch the Duel Monsters card- Devil's Sanctuary- before it fell.
"Kaiba, wait."
He was already gone though.
But I had seen it in a brief second, the fear and the doubt he had held back from his face and very being until then. Because Kaiba would never admit to being afraid for anything... least of all for me...
...
Sophie had been acting strange all day. Jounouchi watched as his manager berated the makeup artist with fervor, her arms and hands gesticulating wildly with every curse that fell from her lips.
The stylist was in tears when she finally excused herself while Sophie had to stop to take a breath. He watched the girl go with pity.
"Sophie, that's was unnecessary." He looked up to stare at her evenly. "I don't care what has you in a rage today, it doesn't give you the right to take it out on other people."
She huffed and puffed. Eventually the red in her face faded away. "Well, as a make-up artist she should damn well know what I mean about you being a Summer." She tossed the day's issue of the Domino Times at him- the Entertainment section to be precise. "And have you seen this article yet?"
Jounouchi had when the paper was delivered alongside his breakfast this morning. Personally, he thought the article was hilarious. He didn't know what Yamato Kimiko had been smoking before writing that article, but she must have balls the size of Saturn to implicate Kaiba in a romantic rivalry with him over Mai.
It would be a cold day in hell before Kaiba Seto treated anyone more affectionately than with subtle scorn.
But he has, a little voice in his head nagged. And to you no less.
Jounouchi firmly placed that part of his mind under lock and key.
"I got a call from Malik Ishtar this morning too. He wants to know how we're going to deal with this one." Sophia was rummaging through her purse as she spoke. She gave a small noise of triumph when she fished out a pack of cigarettes.
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Like what we always do? Deny it vehemently?"
"Yeah sure, I'm sure the media will totally buy that. It might also help your cases if you two weren't always hitting each other or fighting in public."
"Tell Kaiba to stop it then, he's always the one starting shit."
She rolled her eyes and lifted her lighter to the end of the cigarette dangling between her teeth.
He was faster than her though and took the lighter right from her grip. It was a game that they had been playing for years, one that he wished they could stop. "Sophie, this is going to kill you."
She pouted. "Please, working for you will do that first. If I had known it would be this much hassle, I wouldn't have brought you back to Japan to reunite with your loved ones."
He ignored her jib. "Did Malik say what he was planning to do on Kaiba's end?" He was genuinely curious about how Kaiba felt about the entire situation.
She shrugged. "He says his boss was being completely unhelpful in that regard, that's why he called to see if we had any ideas."
"Typical." Jounouchi muttered sourly. Kaiba never did give a damn about what others thought about him, which led Jounouchi to wonder why the brunet even had a publicist to begin with. Then again, Kaiba had always acted more the celebrity than the businessman, never shying away from controversy or confrontation- practically even inviting them most of the time. But still, would it have killed the man to show a little concern about being tied romantically to Mai?
"Are you jealous, Katsuya?"
"Of who? Kaiba?" He snorted. Sure the bastard was far too rich and far too good-looking for his own good, but Jounouchi had watched the other man earn everything he owned through blood and sweat.
"No," she shook her head. "Mai."
The sheer absurdity of her statement stunned him into silence. At least, that's what he tried to convince himself- that he was not weighing the veracity of her words. After all, Mai had confessed to him and not Kaiba. But why had she invited Kaiba to the opening? As far as he knew, the two had never so much as exchanged a word (1) or even a glance at each other. And why did he suddenly feel sixteen and stupid all over again?
Sophie was quiet, and when Sophie was quiet, she was up to something. His manager was studying him with an expression of intense concentration, highlighting all the frown lines on her face. She looked tired..
"What's wrong? Have I been working you too hard? This is supposed to be your vacation too." He took a step closer to the woman.
Sophie pulled him into a sudden and tight embrace. Though her words were muflled by his shoulders, he could still understand them. "This entire experience has been overwhelming for me too. I know what I said when we first met, but it's really coming together. You're like a son to me..."
He returned the hug, hoping it would be enough to ward off the guilt of the son she did leave behind.
"You tell me if you notice anything wrong, the first sign of anything right?"
He stoked her hair. "Everything's fine, it really is."
What Jounouchi didn't know was the frequency of the death threats had increased to three a day, with each becoming increasingly intimate in its detail and each note turning up increasingly closer and closer to home.
...
As soon as Jounouchi stepped off the elevator, he was thrown off by the noise and the bustle of the newspaper's office. Somewhere, someone was yelling loudly and music followed from one of the nearby cubicles. He couldn't help but wonder how anyone could get any writing done in this environment.
"I'm looking for Honda Hiroto." He said as he approached what must be the receptionist at her desk to the right.
The receptionist gave him the third degree first. He was wearing the black wig again, but was also wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses to avoid being detected like Kaiba had done just a week ago. He gathered he must look pretty suspicious from the skeptical look on the woman's face.
"Down the hall, third door on the left." She finally said and turned back to her game of solitaire or whatever she was previously doing on her computer.
The hallway of private offices was a different world from the noisy cubicle farm he had been originally greeted with. Brass plates lined the walls next to each door, denoting both the office's owner and the job title. Sure enough, Honda's name was on the brass plate next to the third door on the left of the corridor. Under his friend's full name, the job title read: "Editor, Crime Desk." He raised a fist to knock but paused, not knowing if his friend wanted to see him at all. He was mostly here at the behest of Yugi and Anzu. They were right in that he too had to take some responsibility in the upset of his sister and friend's relationship- or at the very least show some concern and support.
When he finally steeled his nerve, the door opened just before his fist met the wood and Jounouchi found himself looking into the surprised face of his best friend.
"Hello, can I help you?" Honda asked.
Jounouchi was about to make a smartass comment until he remembered his disguise. He took off his sunglasses and looked straight into the other man's eye. "It's me, Honda."
It took the brunet several moments before the recognition settled in. "Jou-"
He quickly cupped a hand over the other man's mouth and hissed. "Not here. Do you want the entire office to know I'm here?"
Honda stepped back out of the doorway to let Jounouchi in. It wasn't a very large room, but it was a private office nonetheless. Honda had stepped back behind his desk and Jounouchi lowered himself onto the seat that was offered to him. The two of them sat in silence for long, agonizing moment- neither sure of how to proceed.
Feeling as if he should be the bigger man, Jounouchi made the first move. "Honda, I should apologize...for everything. You must think I'm a complete asshole to just come strolling back into your lives and think you'd all be just as forgiving as Yugi. And I didn't. I thought you of all people would hit me, but I guess Kaiba got the honor of doing that first. But I'm sorry, okay? For going away in the first place and coming back like I did-"
Honda interrupted him. "Jounouchi, I only want you to answer one question: Are you just going to pick up and disappear on us again? We've managed the last ten years without you, so don't think we can't manage another 20." The other man's shoulders were tense with anticipation.
The funny thing about adolescent friendships is you think they'll last forever. At the time, Jounouchi had thought so too. And the bonds of their friendship had been particularly special; forged, strengthened, and tested by supernatural dangers that were drawn to them in their youth. If any friendship was to stand the test of time, it should have been theirs. Just as Honda and the others had moved on in the last decade, so had Jounouchi. But maybe that was the fact that hurt each of them the most.
"But just because we can, doesn't mean we have to. But to answer your question, no. I don't plan to cut ties when I leave this time. You'll all know exactly where I am."
His friend broke their shared gaze and looked down at his folded hands resting on the tabletop. "I had forgotten how much I missed having you around until you showed up again."
Jounouchi felt a slow smile creep across his face as he watched the other man's shoulders sag in relief. "Me too."
"How about we get lunch while we catch up?" Honda stood from his seat.
They just burst into laughter when Jounouchi's stomach loudly replied before his mouth could.
...
Shizuka thanked Anzu for the cup of green tea with a nervous style. She hadn't been back to the Mutou household since that day she first saw her brother on TV. Life had been nothing but ups and downs from the moment on. The re-emergence of her brother was the greatest highlight of the last five years, overwhelming even the amazing things that had happened in her career so far. But with that great joy came all the other problems: the press, the scrutiny, her fall-out with her fiance...
That was probably why Anzu had invited her over; to talk about Hiroto.
"I read the first chapter of the manga." The older woman said as she slowly sat down in the seat opposite of Shizuka.
"What'd you think?" The reception had been generally favorable so far, but the opinions of the people who had lived through some of the events this was based on mattered to her the most.
Anzu paused for a moment to think first. "I think it's a good start and it seems like you've already set up for the vast majority of the relationships you want in that first chapter. I wonder if that's the right approach to take..."
Shizuka was quiet for a moment. Hiroto had said the same thing. He felt she had been forcing things too hard and too early; that the choices made should grow organically as a result of character development. She began chewing on her bottom lip. Unable to hold back the sadness that was welling in her heart over more thoughts of her fiance, she said, "Anzu-san and Yugi-san are really amazing... What chance do the rest of us have in comparison..."
Perhaps detecting the truth behind her distress, Anzu just gave her an encouraging smile. "We're just like any other couple. We have our problems and our quarrels."
"I can't imagine over what."
The older woman laughed a little as she gently rubbed her swollen abdomen. "Did you miss the fact my husband is a gaming otaku and the King of Games? During the first year we dated, he spent more time with Yami and playing Duel Monsters than he did with me."
Shizuka furrowed her brows in confusion, but grateful to be able to momentarily escape the sad thoughts. "I thought Yugi-san had retired from Duel Monsters by the time you two started dating."
Anzu looked down at her own cup of tea. "We started in our last year of high school actually, but then I was headed to Juilliard... We decided it was best if we saw other people in the mean time."
"Did Yugi-san really?" Shizuka leaned forward in rapt attention.
The brunette chuckled. "Yugi has his fair share of Duel Monsters fangirls, maybe not as many as Kaiba-kun, but my husband was quite popular. He even went on a date with Vivian Wong."
The younger woman's eyes were wide with amazement. She had heard about the Chinese woman from her brother after the Kaiba Grand Prix Tournament. "Really?"
"It was a disaster from what I heard. Yugi had to duel her halfway through the date to end it."
"And did you?" To Shizuka, Yugi and Anzu had always been the epitome of what all couples should be- the role model to which she always looked to in terms of relationships.
"Of course. I dated my share of dancers and actors while I was in New York. It was probably for the best, I don't think our relationship could have survived the long distance if we tried." She frowned at the thought of the hypothetical. "And I think he wasn't sure if I was with him just because of Yami."
Shizuka had only met the spirit of the Egyptian king a dozen times. At first, she had wondered if she was going insane; if it was some weird split personality disorder. But if that was so, everyone else was just as crazy. She guessed it was easier to accept the strange events she had seen around Battle City by attributing them to an ancient Egyptian spirit. After all, she had included it in her manga...
Anzu placed a hand over hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Every lasting relationship has its compromise and those moments where we need to forgive." The older woman gave her a pointed look. "Yes, Honda kept the situation with Jounouchi from you, but so did the rest of us. You have yet to fault any of us for that."
She knew Anzu felt bad about keeping the secret. She knew they all felt guilty about what they did, especially her Hiroto. "But Anzu, I was this close to spending the rest of my life with him. More than anyone else, he should have known what news of Onii-chan meant to me! If he can keep a secret that big from me, what else could he not be telling me?"
"Honda has been nothing but completely faithful to you." It wasn't often that Shizuka was on the receiving end of the older woman's glare.
"I know that, rationally."
She knew Hiroto had been trying to protect her from being hurt- from herself. The disappearance of his brother had hit her the hardest when it happened; most more so than it did Kaiba, because Kaiba did not mourn his losses and could only overcome them. What she hadn't expected was that his return would hurt her even more. Her beloved brother had planned to return to Japan, do his business, and then return to the US without so much as a "hello." Her heart ached; her brother was still going to be leaving in a matter of weeks.
Shizuka wiped away the tears that were beginning to flow. "When Hiroto and I would talk about plans for the wedding, I had always hoped that Onii-chan would be the one to walk me down the aisle and give me away. After all, it's no longer possible for our father to do that."
Anzu looked like she had a few choice words to say about the older Jounouchi male, but refrained from doing so. Shizuka was grateful for the restraint because for all the things her father had done, he was still her father.
"And even though Onii-chan is back, it still feels like he's so far away."
"I know what you mean, Shizuka-chan."
...
"And then Sophie just flips out and turns around to punch the guy, but she completely misses and decks Nicholas Cage instead!"
The two of them was seated at what was once the gang's usual table at Burger World. Tears of laughter were streaming down from Honda's eyes as the man banged his fist on the tabletop, doubled over in laughter. Jounouchi reached up to brush away the stray tears that were beginning to fall from his own eyes.
"Oh God, Jounouchi, I can't wait to see your manager at more parties. The news around here would be so much more interesting." Honda somehow managed to put a hold to his laughter long enough to take a sip of his soda.
"You wouldn't say that if you had to deal with her." Jounouchi grumbled like a petulant child, dragging a french fry through a puddle of ketchup. "And enough about my sorry life with the she-devil. Why in the world are you working at a newspaper of all places?"
"My brother-in-law helped get me the job after graduation, he was college friends with the old City Desk editor. Hiroshi-san just kind of took me under his wing then and mentored me through the business."
Jounouchi whistled. "And now you're Mr. Editor. Pretty amazing considering how you were in high school."
The other man raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You're one to speak, Mr. Movie Star."
"Hey," he chucked a small piece of fry at the man across the table. "I was always charming and good looking. It just took everyone else a bit to realize it too."
Their conversation paused when both of them caught sight of the group of Domino High students that slid into the booth in front. A couple in the group unfortunately brought his thoughts back to the current state of the relationship between his sister and his friend.
"Have you talked to Shizuka since..." He wasn't sure how to finish the question. Was it a fight, albeit a huge one? The last word he wanted to use was "breakup."
Honda sighed loudly. "She's been avoiding me. You saw how she was at Mai's, but I'll get her to listen to me eventually."
That Jounouchi was sure of. He had watched Honda pursue his sister since they were 16 and if he hadn't given up in the subsequent years, Honda wasn't going to do so now. "I can try and get her to-"
He never got to finish his sentence when Honda just held up a hand and shook his head. "I want to do this on my own, Jounouchi. Don't you have your own problems to worry about?"
"Huh?"
"Like Mai and Kaiba?"
Jounouchi had been working very hard to forget that supposed love triangle between himself and the two former duelists. "I swear I will beat you to a bloody pulp if you're pumping me for a story."
Honda laughed. "I asking as a friend and I suspect that Kimiko has the story backwards."
He stared long and hard at the other man before asking, "And you are surprisingly okay with this turn of events?"
"I can't say I honestly get it." The other man confessed. "And I really don't want any details. But Kaiba's a good guy and he's helped Shizuka a lot over the years. He doesn't admit it... But your leaving hit him just as hard as anybody else."
Jounouchi did feel like a complete ass now. "I really made all of you worry, didn't I?"
The thing about leaving it was actually pretty easy once you get over your initial hesitations. The person leaving didn't have to deal with the fallout and the consequences of his own departure. It's always those left behind that are forced to pick up the pieces.
Honda's glare returned in full-force. "You sure as hell did. We had no idea if you were safe, if you had money, if you just on the street. Even Anzu was worried sick in New York, Yugi had to convince her to stay there. Your mom tried to file a missing person report, but the police wouldn't help because you left of your own free will. For the first few months, we thought you'd turn up at some point or that Kaiba would break down eventually and help us find you. Yugi kept playing in tournaments, hoping he'd catch you at one of them."
Jounouchi kept his deck with him over the years, but he hadn't played since leaving Domino. During his first year in Tokyo, he used to go and watch some of the local tournaments in fits of nostalgia, but had stopped when he thought he saw Yugi at one of them.
The other man continued. "But you never turned up and we all learned to move on. But we're glad to have you back, hopefully for good."
Jounouchi wanted to believe that the overwhelming guilt he felt now would eventually fade.
...
The package arrived via a courier on the morning of the Kaiba Corp Charity Ball, wrapped in brown packing paper with no send or return address. But Sophia knew its content as soon as she spotted the dragon tattoo peeking out from underneath sleeve of the courier's sport jacket. She quickly took the package and deposited it onto her bed in the hotel room. The courier continued to wait and held forth a clipboard with a delivery notice. She quickly gave her signature on the slip and shoved a thick roll of 10,000 yen bills into the other expectant hand. He gave her a toothy grin as he pocketed the cash and tipped his baseball cap, revealing a long and faded scar down his left temple.
"Good doing business with you."
She turned away in disgust and slammed the door. Her eyes automatically moved to the innocuous package sitting on top of the hotel's dark comforter. Her hands shook as she approached the bed.
This had been her choice to make.
She lowered herself onto the edge of the bed and placed the package in her lap. She tore away the brown paper and used her pocket knife to cut the packing tape. She steeled her nerves and opened the box. She had never been afraid of this and she wasn't going to start now.
The glock pistol and a magazine of ammo laid side by side in a bed of packing peanuts. She brushed a hesitant hand over the cool gun metal and caress the smooth area where the serial number had been filed off. After all the second chances she had been given in life, she never thought she would come back to this given the choice. But here she was... Her hands moved with practice ease as she slipped the magazine into the receiver, listening for a familiar click as she recoiled the slide. She held the gun aloft and allowed the feel of it to wash over her. The gun was heavier than she remembered.
If the time came, there would be no turning back.
The memory of Matthew's last moments unwittingly came to mind. She pushed it down, including the sadness and the tears.
She would be ready. She wouldn't let the same thing happen to her Katsuya.
...
Jounouchi furrowed his brows, trying to figure out what was wrong with the scene before him. Never mind the fact of why Kaiba had even invited him in the first place (he hadn't, turned out Malik had passed the invitation along). The party was swank, not quite as swank as some of the Hollywood A-lister parties he had the honor of attending before. But the atmosphere was relaxed, maybe even playful. When he first arrived with Sophia, it hadn't taken him long to spot Kaiba, and surprisingly enough, his friends as well.
They were standing by one of the tables covered with a spread of food. Bakura was just ever-so-slightly leaning his weight against Malik, but Jounouchi could still see their intertwined hands. Yugi seemed trapped between the conversation going on and trying to getting foods and drink for Anzu. He wasn't surprised Anzu had found a way to attend the charity ball even if she was as big as a house. He gathered his courage and moved closer.
"So bets on this year's fiasco." Malik declared.
"I don't know, but it can't possibly beat last year's." Honda was distracted though, always glancing toward the entrance as if waiting for someone.
Kaiba must have noticed too. "I gave her her invitation personally." Once upon a time, Kaiba probably had trouble remembering Honda's name five out of six times.
"She probably won't come, but thanks for the effort." Honda smiled a little.
Silence had fallen over the group.
"Oh, my favorite is the year Haga and Ryuusaki crashed the party." Anzu volunteered cheerfully, trying to dispel the tension as she always did. Yugi chuckled at the very mention of the two.
"That's good..." Bakura started. "But still not as good as the year Malik started."
"Ryou! I thought you were on my side!"
A rumble of laughter rose from the group and a sense of relief rolled off them, as if they had just exhaled a collective breath that was being held. The positioning of the group meant everyone could see everyone else and no one was left out of the circle, including Kaiba. Kaiba looked and acted as if he did belong, with no sign of the awkwardness that would have plagued everyone in their teenage years. With a pang of jealousy, Jounouchi realized that somewhere along the way and probably while he was gone, his friends had also become Kaiba's friends. He knew nothing of the topic they were talking so familiarly about. He felt like the outsider...
"You didn't really expect to come back after 11 years and find everything would be exactly the way you left it?" Sophia was often too perceptive for her own good.
He glared at her. It was her fault he was even here to begin with.
"Shut up, Sophie. I thought this was supposed to be my vacation." He grumbled, prepared to turn and go home for the evening. He was not so lucky though.
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi's eyes lit up like a child in a candy store.
Sophia placed a firm grip on his forearm and pulled him toward the group. There was no escaping now.
Kaiba's nostrils flared and his eyes darkened. "Why are you here?" His tone was belittling and insulting, making Jounouchi's anger bristle like he was 16 again.
"Gee, thanks Kaiba, that's a really warm welcome. I'm certainly going to donate tons to your cause now." Jounouchi knew sulking was immature. But by god, it was his prerogative tonight. "Do you treat all your guests this way?"
"Don't be like that, Kaiba." Malik gave the taller man a pat on the back. Working for the man must have bestowed Malik with immunity to the infamous Kaiba glare.
Yugi just laughed. "Come on, guys. Let's not fight. It's Kaiba-kun's big night, let's be a little more supportive."
...
As it turned out, Kaiba, or at least his company, knew how to throw a party. About an hour in, the games were brought out. But Kaiba being Kaiba, it quickly became like an exhibition hall. Jounouchi had to hand it to the CEO; this was probably one of the best ways to raise money for a children's charity. There was nothing like watching his friends in formal evening wear trying out Kaiba Corp's latest gaming products.
He glanced over at his glass of punch. The alcohol being served certainly didn't hurt either.
Jounouchi wondered where Sophie had gone. Then he remembered she had run off after some actor or other; whether it was poach him from his agency or just for the sake of chasing after the actor Jounouchi didn't know for sure.
He took another big gulp of the punch. The punch left a pleasant burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. He had even gotten the chance to try the new Duel Monsters MMORPG; and boy did it bring back memories.
A shadow fell over him and he dimly registered the fact that the other party-goers around him had swiftly moved away. Jounouchi recognized the length and shape of the shadow.
"Oh, it's you." He took another swig.
Kaiba was frowning, but how was that any different from usual? Jounouchi even swore he saw the other man's eye twitch.
"Before you get any ideas, I didn't invite you. It was all Ishtar's doing." Kaiba declared.
Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Look Kaiba, I really don't care." He was not going to let the brunette ruin what had turned out to be a really fun night- even if Kaiba was responsible for putting it together in the first place.
"Just as long as we're clear." Kaiba grumbled, but didn't leave afterward.
They stood together in relative silence, drinking in the sight of the party-goers. After a while, Jounouchi turned to look at the other man instead. He realized this was the first time he had spent a prolonged period of time with the other man since he returned to Japan. Kaiba still resembled the Kaiba of his youth. In fact, Jounouchi was pretty sure he had changed more in terms of appearances. He took in the way the other man's soft bangs framed his deep blue eyes.
Unable to help himself, Jounouchi reached out to touch the hard jaw he remembered. When his fingers were just centimeter away from the jawline, Kaiba finally turned to meet his gaze. Jounouchi had almost forgotten how mesmerizing those deep blue eyes could be.
He could feel some unnamed resolve begin to crumble and quickly tore his gaze away. "So I see Princess Adina is still in the game. Mokuba must be happy about that. Where is he anyway?"
The edge of Kaiba's lips drew back in a near sneer. "Mokuba and I are not currently on speaking terms."
"Woah, what'd you do? Hit on Rebecca?" Jounouchi found himself falling back into old habits from a decade ago.
Kaiba turned suddenly, drawing himself to his full height. Why'd the damn man have to be so tall anyway? Jounouchi's brain was still a bit fuzzy and it took him more than a moment to realize that he had been backed into a shadowed alcove out of the view of the rest of the party. Suddenly he could feel the heat radiating from the other man's skin and the warm breath over his face. Kaiba had been drinking too.
A hand was placed by the side of his face. This would be a very compromising position if they were found. The other hand had moved to caress his cheek, and Jounouchi wasn't inclined to stop him either.
"My baby brother is having trouble accepting the nature of our relationship." Kaiba whispered as he closed the ever decreasing gap between them.
"What relationship?" Jounouchi found his hand reaching up entirely of its own will.
"Exactly." There was a tone of bitterness in the word, and Jounouchi would have none of that.
...
Every nerve in Kaiba's body went haywire when Jounouchi's lips met his. A small growl escaped as he gave into the lust that had been building all night. He would have never guessed Jounouchi could clean up so well. Jounouchi was not in the entertainment without good reason, still retaining most of his boyish charms from yesteryear approaching thirty. He pushed Jounouchi's body against the wall, hands frantically untucking the shirt to reveal a hard and lean stomach. The blond's hands tugged insistently at the nape of his hair. This was one victory Kujaku Mai wouldn't be taking from him any time soon.
"Kaiba."
He didn't think Jounouchi's could render him mindless with passion like this. Kaiba pulled back to observe the other man's face.
"Kaiba!" Jounouchi insisted.
"No, not here." He mumbled and dove in to nibble the abused lips. "I have a room upstairs for the night."
It shouldn't have been possible for Jounouchi's eyes to darken any further. "Now."
"You're going to be a bossy bottom aren't you?"
Jounouchi smirked and Kaiba's heart skipped a beat. "Who says I'm going to bottom?"
He was unable to suppress the groan that rose from his throat. His mind raced as he tried to calculate their best route of escape. There was a staff exit about five feet to their left, they might be able to slip out noticed there. Malik always kept a tight rein on the press regarding the charity ball; he had to after the incident three years ago. His absence might go noticed for at least an hour as his official duties of the night had been completed.
He would have been able to think more clearly if Jounouchi wasn't toying so insistently with his belt buckle. Kaiba swatted the playful hand away. "Stop that, I'm trying to think."
The blond's hand grabbed his tie instead, crinkling the silk material and pulling him closer once again. "Thinking is for suckers, Kaiba." And with those words, he pressed his lips against Kaiba's again.
After what seemed like another eternity, they finally broke apart for some air. Kaiba also suspected he was beginning to sober up as pesky thoughts that would not have otherwise surfaced, did so in full force. In all the years he had known Jounouchi, after all the things he had done for the blond, Jounouchi had always fought him tooth and nail over the subject of his professed feelings.
And this? This was just too easy...
"What about Kujaku?" He studied the blond's man face.
"Mai? Huh? What does she had to do with anything?" Confusion washed over the blond's features as he pressed himself ever closer to Kaiba.
Kaiba extracted himself from the other man's arms. What was he doing? Hadn't he been the one worrying about prying eyes and the higher stakes?
"Go." He ordered.
The rejection was evident on Jounouchi's face, but Kaiba refused to allow it to interfere with his better judgment. They just couldn't do this, not now- not before they've had a chance to clear the air between them. The blond looked back at him, looking lost and utterly kissable, before leaving the alcove altogether.
Kaiba remained there for what felt like an eternity. What could have driven him to such a loss of control? It must have been the stupid media frenzy whipped up in response to Yamato Kimiko's article. It was the only reason he spent the last few days following the media dribble that was well below him. But he hadn't been able to look away, not when they kept digging up more and more photos of Jounouchi and Kujaku together and inevitably leading his own thoughts to the wretched kiss that took place on his balcony. And there was also Kujaku's confident smile forever infuriating him to no end- as if she had already won and that he would be no more than a mere bump in the road to overcome.
He rubbed his face and sighed. Why was Jounouchi Katsuya always making a mess out of his life?
When he re-emerged into the ballroom, he immediately found himself searching for Jounouchi in the crowd. Had he been just a few years younger, he would have been entirely disgusted with his own actions. The blond was surrounded by his friends and close to falling asleep on Honda's shoulder. No one in the group looked none the wiser to what had happened. He was thankful for that small grace. The last thing he wanted to endure was the awkwardness of the group's silent but curious attention.
Jounouchi's manager spotted him though and came straight at him. Kaiba stood tall; he was no coward after all and running away was Jounouchi's specialty (admittedly that was low even for him).
"You," she pointed an accusing finger at him. "You of all people should know better!"
He sneered. "I hope you're not going to accuse me of taking advantage of him. He was more than willing."
She reached up to massage her temples. "I know that! But I refuse to weather a media storm for the two of yours drunken indiscretions! Both of you need to be properly sober if you're going to pull this shit. I won't stand for this half-assness!"
With that declaration, she turned on her heels and walked away. Kaiba was not stunned and don't you even dare think that...
...
Jounouchi leaned against the wall of the hotel lobby, waiting for Sophie to arrange their ride back to their own hotel. His head was still swimming; but whether it was from the alcohol or Kaiba's kisses, he still wasn't sure yet. Sophie had understandably been upset. If any of the reporters at the party had seen the two of them together...
"Jounouchi."
"Mokuba?"
The younger Kaiba was looking sharp in his custom tailored tuxedo with his longer black haired tied back in a ponytail. The younger man seemed to be appraising him.
Remembered what Kaiba had said about his strained relationship with his brother, Jounouchi straightened his posture. "Hey, kid. I didn't see you at the party earlier."
Mokuba shrugged. "I was avoiding you and Nii-sama."
He blinked. The kid was as blunt as ever. "Oh..."
"I like you, Jounouchi, you're a good guy even if you're kind of a dumbass most of the time."
"Uh, thanks." The Kaiba brothers were really fucked up when it came to talking about their feelings. Jounouchi was beginning to feel sorry for Rebecca.
Mokuba crossed his arms over his chest, looking every inch the adult he was. "But that's not good enough for my Nii-sama. I need to know what your intentions are."
Jounouchi glanced around the crowded hotel lobby. He wasn't the only party-goer who had decided it was time to call it a night. "Uh, Mokuba, this is kind of a really public venue to be talking about this."
The dark-haired man's nostrils flared and the dark expression he wore wiped out any lingering thoughts of whether Mokuba was really related to the human ice cube, Kaiba Seto. "What? Ashamed of the skeletons in the closet, Jounouchi?"
"What about your brother's company, huh? You of all people should know it's not that easy. And I thought you didn't approve."
Mokuba's glare softened a little. "I do know. Don't you think Nii-sama has the same concerns about your career? About your family? Even so, isn't my brother worth it?"
Jounouchi ran a hand through his slick gelled hair. Alcohol was going to be his downfall. It had been his father's after all. "Help me God because I think he might be."
Despite all the aggravation, all the fighting, all the stares and whispered comments... Kaiba has gotten under his skin in a way no other man or woman had ever.
"If it's any consolation, I think Nii-sama thought the same from the beginning. I should know, I've been with him forever." Mokuba looked sad, as if he was on the verge of losing something precious.
He laughed softly. "Kaiba should be happy with the kind of man you've grown up to be."
"I'm slowly getting there." Mokuba muttered before he walked away.
...To Be Continued...
It is so easy to see
Dysfunction between you and me
We must free up these tired souls
Before the sadness kills us both
- "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Maroon 5
(1) I am having a really hard time trying to recall when Kaiba and Mai have ever directly interacted in the anime or manga.
Things are finally beginning to happen! Sorta! I'm trying really hard not to jerk you guys around. Hopefully the next chapter will take less time as I have 50% of it written already. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and all its cheesy melodrama!
And special thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter: kiates, Blue Lagoon Loon, Anon, ChaniaGo, D, Morghann, Ryo, Eunice Branca, & Yugi16dm!
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